Gwandalan flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Gwandalan
(Central Coast, NSW) - 3.15 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
3.15 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Gwandalan's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Gwandalan
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Gwandalan at a glance
How Gwandalan is zoned
Buying in Gwandalan? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.
Across its 3.15 km², Gwandalan is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 14% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 60% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 536 m² across 1,773 parcels.
Who lives in Gwandalan
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Gwandalan suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 942, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Gwandalan's 3,785 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Summerland Point - Gwandalan, the wider ABS statistical area containing Gwandalan. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Gwandalan itself.
4,707 in 2001 to 7,094 in 2025, up 51%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Gwandalan data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
Check a specific Gwandalan address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 40% of Gwandalan. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Gwandalan lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Gwandalan planning - frequently asked
Is Gwandalan flood-prone?
About 14% of Gwandalan falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 30%.
Is Gwandalan bushfire-prone?
Around 60% of Gwandalan is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Central Coast average of 69%.
Is Gwandalan under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 40% of Gwandalan, and over about 61% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 2,000 ft, with an average of 5,000 ft. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Gwandalan?
The dominant planning zone in Gwandalan is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Public Recreation.
Does Gwandalan have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Gwandalan.
What is the typical lot size in Gwandalan?
Across 1,773 surveyed parcels in Gwandalan, the median lot size is about 536 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Gwandalan have a train station?
There is no train station inside Gwandalan itself. The suburb is served by 33 bus stops.
What is the population of Gwandalan?
At the 2021 Census Gwandalan had 3,785 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Summerland Point - Gwandalan statistical area, which contains Gwandalan, went from 4,707 people in 2001 to 7,094 in 2025, up 51%.
Is Gwandalan an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Gwandalan scores 942 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Gwandalan?
Median household income in Gwandalan was $1,493 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,735 for the typical suburb in Central Coast. Median rent was $385 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,800 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summerland Point | 1.8 km | 22% | 70% |
| Nords Wharf Lake Macquarie |
2.3 km | 4% | 88% |
| Point Wolstoncroft | 2.6 km | 29% | 100% |
| Chain Valley Bay | 2.8 km | 21% | 90% |
| Crangan Bay Lake Macquarie |
3.4 km | 7% | 100% |
| Sunshine Lake Macquarie |
3.6 km | 2% | 80% |
| Cams Wharf Lake Macquarie |
3.6 km | <1% | 90% |
| Catherine Hill Bay Lake Macquarie |
3.9 km | Not mapped | 94% |
| Mirrabooka Lake Macquarie |
4.0 km | <1% | 72% |
| Kingfisher Shores | 4.2 km | 45% | 94% |